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Jan. 24, 1956 H. v. BOLDING SHOCKPROOF CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 25, 1952 INVENTOR Hubert V190 ATTORNEY Jan. 24, 1956 H. v. BOLDING SHOCKPROOF CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1952 INVENTOR m ATTUhNEY United States Patent SHOCKPROOF CARTON Hubert V. Bolding, Jetfersonville, Ind., assignor to The Bradley & Gilbert Company, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application September 25, 1952, Serial No. 311,515

6 Claims. (Cl. 229-39) This invention relates to cartons and has particular reference to one adapted for the packaging of fragile articles such as radio tubes, etc.

An important object of the invention is 'to provide a carton wherein fragile articles of glass or the like such as radio tubes, etc., may be supported within the carton spaced from the walls thereof so that shock transmitted to the walls does not reach the packaged articles.

Still another object of the invention is to so arrange a carton of this type that it is adaptable for the packaging of articles of different sizes and that it will function to position each firmly and in spaced relation to the outer, walls as noted above.

Still another object of the invention is to facilitate packaging or insertion within the carton of articles of the type under consideration. The invention facilitates this operation by providing a ramp or guidewayover which the article being package may be slid without undue care on the part of the operator. The article seating or positioning means within the carton is so positioned in conjunction with this guide or ramp that the article is automatically deposited in its seat on completion of the insertion movement.

A further object of the invention is to construct a carton of the type heretofore described from a single integral blank so designed that a minimum of folding and gluing operations are necessary for erection from the blank form. In this manner the cost of forming the carton is reduced to a minimum from the viewpoint of both material and labor. I

An additional important feature of the invention resides in the blank from which the carton is formed, which blank is so designed that the position in which the article is seated within the carton may be varied by very slight modification in the design of the carton blank.

It is important to note that, while this invention is being described in conjunction specifically with the shockproof packaging of fragile articles, it may be used equally well as a multi-compartment carton wherein the contents may be separated from one another.

Various other objects and meritorious features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures, and wherein: i p Fig. 1 is a plan view of the'inside face of the cartonforming blank;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the initial step of erection;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the second step;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the erected carton in flat form;

Fig. 5 is a section along 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a section along 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a section along line 7-7 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section along line 8 -8 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section along line 99 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section through a loaded carton;

2,732,123 Patented Jan. 24, 1956 Fig. 11 is a side elevation through a loaded carton with the exposed wall removed;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of an empty carton;

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal vertical section through an empty carton, and

Fig. 14 is a plan view of the outside face of a slightly modified blank.

The inside face of the blank is illustrated in Fig. 1. It consists of a single integral sheet of flexible material such as cardboard or the like and is composed of panels separated from one another by weakened lines which extend parallel to one another. The blank includes four outer wall panels 2, 4, 6, and 8. Located adjacent the margin of wall panel 8 are subanchor panel 14, ramp panel 18 and anchor panel 12. Extending from the margin of outer wall panel 2 are anchor panel 10, positioning panel 20 and subanchor panel 16.

While the broad terminology weakened lines is used substantially throughout the description, it should be noted that anchor panel 10 and wall panels 2, 4, 6 and 8 are separated from one another by score lines, while the other panels described above are separated from one another by means of spaced die cuts separated from one another by score lines.

Conventional side closure flaps 22 are flexibly connected by score lines to the upper and lower margins of wall panels 2 and 6. A main closure flap 24 is flexibly connected to the upper margin of wall panel 4 by means of a score line, which flap is provided with a tab 26 adapted for insertion in the carton when closing the same. A similar main closure flap 28 and insertion tab 30 are flexibly connected by means of a score line to the lower margin of wall panel 8. The opposite sides of the score lines separating the main closure flaps from their associated insertion tabs are notched as indicated at 32 to facilitate locking of the flap when closing the carton.

Positioning panel 20 is divided into two sections of equal width by means of a score line 34, and an opening or slot 36 is die cut from this panel. The opening is preferably positioned midway between the sides of panel 20, symmetrical with reference to score line 34, and in the form illustrated is elongated to span a substantial portion of the height or length of the panel.

Ramp panel 18 is likewise divided into sections of equal width by means of a score line 38, and the upper portion of the panel is rendered transversely flexible with reference to the main body thereof by means of score lines 40 and 42 which are inclined upwardly and outwardly from a point on score line 38 located between its midpoint and the upper end thereof.

In die cutting, the upper end of ramp panel 18 is pref erably shaped in blunt-nosed fashion, the nose being-indicated broadly by the numeral 44. This permits a somewhat greater width to subanchor panel 14 at its upper end as clearly indicated in the drawings. Nose 44 is divided or split into equal independently movable segments 45 and 47 by a die cut 43 in alinement with score line 38.

As heretofore stated, the inside face of the blank is illustrated in Fig. l, and it will be noted that anchor panel 12 is provided with a glue line 46 extending throughout its length and the anchor panel 10 is similarly provided with a glue line 48.

Referring briefly to Fig. 14 before describing the erection of the carton from the blank, in both forms of blank the outer face of subanchor panel 16 is provided with a glue line 50 and the outer face of subanchor panel 14 is similarly provided with a glue line 52. v

Erection from the blank heretofore described is the essence of simplicity. From the position illustrated. in Fig. l the right end of the blank is folded over about. the weakened line separating wall panel 8 from subanchor panel 14, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The left end of the blank is then folded over along the weakened line separating wall panel 2 from .anchor panel 10, as indicated in Fig. 3. These operations result in adhering the inside face of anchor panel 12 to the inside face of wall panel 6 and the inside face of anchor panel 10 to the inside of wall panel 2.

The blank as illustrated in Fig. 3 is then folded inwardly along the weakened line separating wall panels 4 and 6 which results in adhering the outer faces of anchor panel 10 and subanchor panel 14 as well as the outer faces of anchor panel 12 and subanchor panel 16 to produce the completed carton illustrated in its flattened form in Fig. 4.

:It should be noted that there are oniy three fold operations required and that these result in the glue seaming of panels along four separate lines extending throughout the length or height of the carton.

In the blank illustrated in Fig. 14 both ends of ramp panel 18 are blunt-nosed as indicated at Except for this slight difference or modification of the ramp panel 18, the blank shown in Fig. 14 is identical to that iliustrated in Fig. 1.

As noted heretofore, the packaging of a radio tube is illustrated herein for descriptive purposes. To open the carton from the flattened position illustrated in Fig. 4, it

is only necessary to exert pressure upon the ends of the carton. This results in the formation illustrated in Figs. 8-13.

When the carton has been opened it may be laid flat and lengthwise upon a support in such manner that the ramp panel i8 is lowermost. The operator or automatic packaging machine then simply siides the radio tube, glass end first, inwardly long the support. During this operation the glass nose of the tube encounters the resilient independently movable segments of nose &4 of the ramp and cams the same downwardly. When segments 45 and 47 are forced downwardly they form a V-shaped channel which guides the tube inwardly and centrally as it is moved further into the interior of thc carton. During this inward loading movement of the tube the side of the glass bulb, which is of a diameter larger than the width of positioning slot 36, falls into the opening and the ramp wall 13 forces the glass tube into such seating position and holds it there by virtue of the resiliency inherent in said wall. The flexibility of positioning panel 29 afforded by score line 34 greatly facilitates this operation.

It should be noted that only a segment of the cylindrical wall of the glass tube extends through opening Accurate and positive positioning of tubes ofvarying diameters may be obtained utilizing the same size opening 36. The only variance in utilizing tubes of different diameters resides in the size of the segment which projects through the opening 36.

The maximum diameter of tube which may be used in conjunction with a given opening 36 is that which will permit a sufiicieutly large segment to pass through the opening to provide positive and accurate seating. The limit on small tubes capable of seating in the same positioning opening 36 is a diameter somewhat greater than the width of positioning opening 36 so that a relatively large segment of the tube extends into the opening. Furthermore, the length of the tube packaged in my improved carton may be substantially less than the length of positioning opening 36 or longer, depending to a large extent on the inward taper of the tube at top and bottom.

It will be noted particularly from Fig. 8 that ramp panel 18 is closer to its adjacent outer wail than positioning panel 20. This not only results in ramp panel 18 lying quite close to the supporting surface when tubes are being loaded into the carton, but permits a substantial segment of the glass tube when loaded to project through opening 36 without contacting the wall of the carton.

structurally it will'be noted that both the anchor panels (ill and subanchor panels are glued to opposite walls of the carton, leaving the other set of opposite walls free and clear. Each subanchor panel is narrower than the anchor panel to which it adheres and one subanchor panel adheres to both an anchor panel and a wall panel. The anchor panels and wall panels are glued in inside to inside surface relationship, and the subanchor panels and anchor panels are glued in outside to outside sur- 1" ace relation. This arrangement affords maximum rigidity to the carton as a Whole.

Contiguous to respective sides of slotted positioning panel 29 and ramp panel 18, respectively, are an anchor and a subanchor panel, and the combined widths of the two substantially equals the width of the wall panel to which they are adhered. The widths of the ramp panel and the slotted positioning panel, respectively, are subslantially equal to the width of the wall panels extending parallel thereto.

It should further be noted that all of the weakened lines between adjoining panels, with the exception of those connecting wall panels 2, 4, 6 and 8 and connecting wall panel 2 with anchor panel 10, are in the form of spaced die cuts to facilitate bending.

Ramp panel 38, as noted from Figs. 1 and 14, may e provided with a flexible guide nose at either one or both ends. The slot or opening 36 in the positioning panel may, under some circumstances, be located in the ramp panel. The slot or opening may be of any size or shape, or in many instances and for some purposes be eliminated entirely. The sheet material of the panel need not be entirely removed but may be die cut in certain shapes and dimensions, and folded to provide the opening for certain specific purposes.

'As heretofore stated, the carton herein illustrated has been designed for a specific purpose, i. e. radio tube packaging. Where the opening or slot 36 is omitted, the two panels 18 and 20 may simply serve the purpose of dividing or segregating different materials or products packaged in a single container.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and for that reason I wish to limit myself only within the scope of. the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible carton comprising four outer wall pancls hingedly interconnected at their longitudinal edges to form an enclosed chamber rectangular in tranvcrsc cross section, two spaced dividing walls hingedly connected at their respective longitudinal edges to a pair of opposed outer wall panels, one of said dividing walls having a cut positioned longitudinally and centrally of one end portion thereof, and a pair of divergent hinge score lines extending from the inner end of said cut transversely and outwardly through part of said one end portion and ending at the longitudinal hinge connections for said one of said dividing walls, said longitudinal hinge connections being cut from the points of juncture of the score lines therewith forwardly to the end of said one end portion, the resultant freely hinged segments forming a loading ramp adapted for hinging action toward the adjacent outer wall panel upon insertion of an article between said dividing walls to facilitate the loading operation.

2. A collapsible carton formed from a single blank comprising a top wall, a first side wall and a second side wall hingedly connected to opposite longitudinal edges of said top wall, a first anchor fixedly connected to said first side wall and extending upwardly from the lower edge thereof, a horizontal upper dividing panel hingedly connected to the upper edge of said first anchor, a second anchor fixedly connected to said second side wall and extending downwardly from the upper portion thereof, a horizontal lower dividing panel hingedly connected to the lower edge of said second anchor, 21 first subanchor fixedly connected to the upper portion of said second anchor and hingedly connected at its lower edge to said 5 upper dividing panel, a second subanchor fixedly connected to the lower portion of said first anchor and hingedly attached at its upper edge to said lower dividing panel, and a bottom wall hingedly attached at its longitudinal edges to the lower edges of said second subanchor and said second side wall respectively.

3. A collapsible carton as described in claim 2 and wherein said first subanchor is fixedly connected at its uppermost edge portion to the uppermost edge portion of said second side wall.

4. A collapsible carton as described in claim 2 and wherein said lower dividing panel has cuts at its longi* tudinal edges at one end portion and is provided with hinge score line means extending substantially transversely of said lower dividing panel with the transverse outer ends of said score line means positioned at the longitudinal inner ends of said cuts to form a loading ramp having free hinging action downwardly toward its adjacent bottom Wall to facilitate insertion of an article.

5. A collapsible carton as described in claim 4 and wherein said lower dividing panel is longitudinally split along its center line from its outer end to a point longitudinally inwardly of its side termination junctions with the lower dividing wall and terminating at said score line means, said score line means including a pair of divergent hinge score lines extending from the'inner end of said cut transversely and outwardly to said "side termination junctions to form a guiding V-shaped channel upon References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,151,821 Raynaud Aug. 31, 1915 1,238,364 Wallace Aug. 29, 1917 1,940,292 Bueschel Dec. 19, 1933 2,008,949 Ellsworth -July 23, 1935 2,060,513 Marx Nov. 10, 1936 2,368,753 Elliott Feb. 6, 1945 2,556,778 Ringler June 12, 1951 2,581,400 Freel Jan. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 258,925 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1926 

